Ground gripping ferrule for use on walking sticks, crutches and the like



1958 R. s. HIGGINB'OTHAM 2,857,925

. GROUND GRIPPING FERRULE FOR USE ON WALKING STICKS, CRUTCHES AND THE LIKE Flled June 50 1955 'Izzvezz-Znp GROUND GRIPPING FERRULE FOR USE ON. LwfikcLEKlNG STICKS, CRUTCHES AND THE Richard Stopford Higginbotham, Auckland, New Zealand This invention relates to ferrules for use on. walking,

sticks, crutches and the like and in particular to ferrules formed of resilient material such as rubber for fitting over the ends of walking sticks and crutches as a prevention against wear of the stick end, and for gripping purposes.

It is common for persons such as semi-cripples or the like using walking sticks or crutches as an aid to walking to incline the stick or crutches at an angle from the body in order to increase support for the body. However W- ing to the angle of incline of the stick or crutch, only a portion of the end of the stick or the ferrule thereon, is in contact with the ground. Thus the gripping surface of the stick with the ground is substantially reduced.

. Although ferrules formed of material having gripping qualities have been used, it has been found that on inclined or slippery ground surfaces, the limited gripping surface presented to the groundwhen the stick or crutches are inclined at an angle, is often insutficient to support a person with a result that falls caused by the slipping of sticks and crutches are quite frequent.

With these factors in mind it is the object of the invention to overcome the aforedescribed disadvantages by providing an improved ground gripping ferrule for use with walking sticks, crutches and the like, capable of presenting a full gripping surface to the ground regardless of the angle the stick or crutch may be brought to in support of the user.

According to one aspect of the invention the improved ground gripping ferrule for use on walking sticks, crutches and the like comprises material having resilient qualities, provided with an interior bore open to one end of the ferrule and closed to the opposed end of the ferrule, ground gripping means provided at the closed end of the ferrule adapted to act as a grip on a ground surface when the ferrule is in use and in position with the bore engaged on a stick end, and a bendable neck formed in the exterior wall of the ferrule and located between the ground gripping means and a point in line with the closed end of the bore, to enable the sections of the ferrule defined by the bendable neck, to be inclined at an angle in relation to each other.

According to a further aspect of the invention the improved ground gripping ferrule is cylindrical in shape and provided with a bore open to one end of the ferrule, a bendable neck located between the inner closed end of the bore and the closed end of the ferrule, the bendable neck being lesser in circumferenence than the circumference of the cylindrical ferrule and ground gripping means incorporated on the closed end of the ferrule adapted to grip a ground surface.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates five embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 1 with the ferrule engaged on a stick end;

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 show the ferrule engaged on a stick and the sections of the ferrule defined by the bendable neck inclined at an angle to each other;

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is also an inverted plan view and illustrates the second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view in elevation of the ferrule illustrating the third embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view in elevation illustrating the fourth embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 8 is an inverted plan view of Fig. 7; M

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional elevation (broken) showing the fifth embodiment of the invention; while Fig. 10 is an inverted plan view of Fig. 9.

The improved ferrule 1 is formed of a material having resilient qualities, and in a preferred form of the invention a resilient type rubber, or rubber composition, is

used. Preferably, and as illustrated in the drawings, the

. improved ferrule 1 is cylindrical in shape and is provided with an interior bore 2 open to one end of the ferrule 1 (referred to hereinafter as the top end of the ferrule 1). The bore 2 extends a distance into the ferrule 1 and as illustrated in Figs. 2 and.6, is lesser in depth than the ex terior depth of the ferrule 1, so that a solid section of.

rubber is provided between the closed or bottom end of the ferrule 1 and the inner closed end of the bore 2.

The bendable neck 3 is provided by a recess 4, cut or otherwise formed in the exterior wall of the ferrule 1 bei tween the closed or bottom end of the ferrule 1 and a point on the exterior wall of the ferrule 1 in line with the inner limit of the bore 2. The recess 4 may be arcuate in shape but in a preferred form, and as illustrated in the drawings, is of a V -shaped formation cut into, and ex-, tending circumferentially about the circumferential wall position it will be observed that the bendable neck 3 is located between the bottom end of the stick 5 and the bottom closed end of the ferrule 1. The exterior closed or bottom end of the ferrule 1 is in the form of a flattened surface 6 forming a ground gripping means adapted to grip a ground surface.

With the ferrule I placed in position on a stick or crutch 5, the bendable neck 3 provides a bendable joint between the gripping surface 6 and the stick or crutch 5, so that when the stick or crutch 5 is inclined at an angle from the ground, such as is usual in support of a user, the bendable neck 3 will provide a universal joint action, enabling the section of the ferrule 1, below the bendable neck 3, to be inclined at an angle to the upper or remaining section of the ferrule 1 which is engaged on the stick or crutch 5. By means of such an arrangement it will be readily ascertained that the full area of the gripping surface 6 of the ferrule 1 may be maintained in contact with the ground to provide a maximum grip on the ground regardless of the angle, or the position the stick or crutch 5 has been brought to, in relation to the ground in support of the user (see Fig. 3).

A further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 5 wherein the flattened gripping surface 6 is provided with a raised tread formation 7, provided for the purpose of increasing the gripping ability of the ferrule 1. The tread formation may be of any desired formation, Fig. 5 illustrating one such formation as a series of crosswise raised ridges.

Patented Oct. 28, 1958 Fig. 6illustrates the 'thirdembodiment of the invention, wherein -the ferrule 1 incorporates means whereby the gripping ability of the ferrule 1 is further advanced by suction. Such an arrangement is carried into effectby providing the ferrule 1 with a ccncaveordishedgripping surface 8 in the form of a vacuumorsuctioncup (see Fig; 6) capable of being flattened on to aground surface so that air between the concave grippingsurface 8 and'the ground surface, will be expelled to cause adhesion'of the gripping surface 8 to the ground surface'under'a more or less vacuum condition. The grip created by the suction between the concave gripping surface and the ground surface, 'is'sufficient to provide a firm ground grip for a walking stick or crutch during use ofthe latter.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate the fourth embodimentof the invention where the ferrule 1 is provided with at least one small borepassage 9 leading from the concave gripping surface 8, through the ferrule land opening onto the exterior of the ferrule 1 in the recess '4. With the ferrule I pushed against a ground surface "and with the air contained in the enclosed area between the concave surface 8 and ground surface expelled, air is permitted toslowly, re-enter the enclosed area via-the passage 9so that the ferrule 1 is adhered to the ground surface only during the period of unequal pressures of'air, the grip being provided by the reduction of the pressure of air within the enclosed area, as previously described, the duration of which is controlled by the rate air is 'permittedto re-enter the enclosed area by way ofthe air passage 9 to equalize the pressure to atmospheric pressure and release the ferrule 1. In this instance the passage 9 is small in diameter so that pressure will not equalize at once to release the ferrule 1, but only after the lapse of a short spell of' time, sufficient to maintain the ferrule 1 gripped to the ground surface while the walking stick or crutch 5 is placed on the ground during walking.

Asillustrated in Figs. 9 and 10,-the gripping arrangement' provided by the partial suction, may be used in conjunction with a tread 10; The tread 10-di-viding the concave gripping surface 8 into a plurality .of compartments. 11 each of which is communicated to the exterior of the ferrule 1 by a passage 9 so that upon the ferrule 1 being pressed onto a ground surface to flatten the concave gripping surface 8 each compartment 11 acts to grip the ground surface by suction action in conjunction with the tread 10 (see Fig. 9).

What I do claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:

A ground engaging ferrule for attachment to a walking stick, crutch and the like to prevent the slippage of the same, comprising an elongated body portion of resilient material having a socket therein for receiving the-lower end of the walking stick, a concave formation at the free end of the body portion, a tread of cross configuration dividing the concave formation into four ground gripping suction compartments of equal area capable of gripping a ground surface when the ferrule is forced onto the ground surface to expel the air from the areas bounded by said suction compartments, and further means defin: ing a small bore passage leading {from each suction come partment to points outside the ferrule whereby the dura[- tion of grip is determined by the time required for air to re-enter and re-fill the areas bounded by the suction compartments by way of the said passages.

References Cited in the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 755,713 Shanahan 'Mar; 29,- 1904: 930,236 Schacht Aug.-3,- fl909' 1,429,429 Hipwood 'Sept. 19, 1922' 2,230,406 Johnson Feb. '4, 1941 2,319,726 Duggan May 18,1949 2,403,632 Brown July9, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 161,290 Great Britain Apr. 8, 1921 

